By Patrick Butler Chicago may indeed have some of the country's best drinking water- but only until it reaches the lead- ened service lines leading to your kitchen or bathroom taps. That warning came from local environmental activists Troy Her- nandez of Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO) and Daniel Wahl of Just Design (an environmental justice cooperative) and Engineers With- out Borders at an event they held July 15 at Simone's, 960 W. 18th St. During the four-hour program, they distributed free water filters, gave chlorine test demonstrations, and offered signups for home wa- ter quality tests. Hernandez and Wahl agreed that, while the country as a whole has done a good job getting the lead out of paint and gasoline, water supplies are a different story. It does not help that even test- ing for lead in water is hard to do correctly under the best of circum- stances, Wahl said, explaining, "you're going to get very high false negative rates. Ninety percent of the time, when you do get elevated lead levels, you're going to miss it because everyone's service line is a little different." Water main replacement Hernandez and Wahl believe the problem became critical in Chi- cago some years ago when the City INSIDE By Madeline Makoul A Chicago developer is set to pur- chase a row of long vacant South State Street buildings that will undergo a $141 million redevelop- ment, creating new residential and retail space. CA Ventures submitted a $10.38 million proposal to acquire 202, 212, 214, and 220 S. State St. from the federal government, according to the Office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The U.S. General Services Ad- ministration (GSA) bought the pro- perties on the west side of State Street in 2007, with an aim to con- solidate federal agencies there. Due in part to difficulties acquir- ing funding for these historic structures, the GSA's plan never A free, independent community newspaper since 1983. Near West/Tri-Taylor University Village West Loop South Loop West Haven Bridgeport/Armour Square Chinatown Bronzeville East Pilsen Heart of Chicago South State Street slated for major $141 million redevelopment plan OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Riverfront park planned for site of former Fisk power plant. See page 6. Banana republics don't just exist in third world countries. See Editorial on page 22. Parking bans to help residents in West Loop and South Loop. See page 38. Gazette Chicago offers Back to School guide of area educational institutions. See page 24. Historic McKinley Park buildings slated for renovation. See page 3. Saint Ignatius College Prep to expand athletic facilities Lead in drinking water is problem in city, experts and PERRO charge Continued on page 12 The new development will revitalize an underused area of South State Street, improving the streetwall and making the area more pedestrian friendly. Aladdin story comes to life at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. See page 11. August 4, 2017 Vol. 35, No.4 By Igor Studenkov Saint Ignatius College Prep, a co- educational high school at 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd., has announced plans to rebuild and expand its athletic facilities. New facilities will be located at 1001 W. Roosevelt Rd., the former site of Provision Theatre across the street from the school, which al- ready has some athletic fields. The project would add more ten- nis courts, improve the existing baseball field, and add two prac- tice fields and a larger soccer field with a running track. According to Ryan Bergen, the school's director of development, as with the existing facilities, the public as well as Saint Ignatius stu- dents will have access to the new fields. "The school willcontinue to make the [existing and new] spaces available for our partners in the community," Bergen said. The school has won recognition for its quality education, which includes athletics and the Roman Catholic faith and Jesuit values that form the keystone to the school's approach to teaching and school organization. Its history dates back to 1870. Saint Ignatius's athletic depart- ment offers a wide range of sports: cross country, hockey, golf, soc- cer, bowling, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming and diving, baseball, rugby, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and water polo. Students Continued on page 8 Continued on page 14 CHICAGO